Today the
Fresh Fruit
and Vegetable
Program presents
to you...
What are they?
 Green beans are part of the legume family
 They have long straight pods that vary in color (i.e. Yellow, purple,
red, and green)
 When eaten raw, they have a mild flavor and a crisp texture
 Large overgrown green beans can have a bitter taste, so stick to young
tender green beans
When are they available?
 Can be harvested locally generally July through September
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 cup raw green beans
Amount Per Serving
Calories 34
Calories from Fat 1
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g
Saturated Fat 0g
0%
0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg
0%
Sodium 7mg
0%
Total Carbohydrate 8g
3%
Dietary Fiber 4g
15%
Sugars 2g
Protein 2g
Vitamin A
15%
Vitamin C
30%
Calcium
4%
Iron
6%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
What’s so cool about them?
 They are the second most popular home garden vegetable
 Green beans are also known as snap beans because of the “snapping”
sound they make went bent
 They were originally from Peru
 Green beans were introduced to North America from Native
Americans from South America
Why should I eat them?
 Excellent source of…
 Vitamin C, which helps boost your immune system and promote
wound healing and collagen formation
 Vitamin K, which helps with blood clotting
 Great source of...
 Fiber, which helps lower bad cholesterol
 Vitamin A, which is good for your eyes and skin
 Folate, which helps prevent heart disease
 Manganese, which promotes bone density an healing
Need some recipe ideas?
 Roasted Green Beans
 Three Bean Salad
Resources:
Center for Research in Environmental Sciences and Technologies (CREST). (2011). Green
beans. Retrieved from http://www.wlwv.k12.or.us/Page/2659
Dole Nutrition Institution. (2005). What you need to eat every day & why [Brochure].
Westlake Village, CA: Dole Food Company.
Lewis, L. (June 2011). Green beans. Utah State University Cooperative Extension.
Retrieved from http://extension.usu.edu/files/publications/publication/FN_Food$ense_201115pr.pdf
United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). (December 7th, 2011). National Nutrient
Database for Standard Reference. Retrieved from http://ndb.nal.usda.gov/ndb/search/list
University of Illinois Extension. (2013). Watch your garden grow: Beans. University of
Illinois Board of Trustees. Retrieved from http://urbanext.illinois.edu/veggies/beans.cfm
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Green bean [PDF document]. Retrieved from
http://fns.dpi.wi.gov/files/fns/pdf/ffvp_fs_gb.pdf
Created By:
Kara Helget, Food Service Intern
Collaboration With:
Judi Smith, Food Service Director
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.